<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/97
000 C000000 0000049707
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 U
001 A000000 IDS LIFE VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND B
001 B000000 811-1674
001 C000000 6126712152
002 A000000 IDS TOWER 10
002 B000000 MINNEAPOLIS
002 C000000 MN
002 D010000 55440
002 D020000 0010
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 IDS LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-8101
008 D010001 MINNEAPOLIS
008 D020001 MN
008 D030001 55440
008 D040001 0534
008 A000002 DELETE
013 A000001 ERNST & YOUNG LLP
013 B010001 MINNEAPOLIS
013 B020001 MN
013 B030001 55402
015 A000001 AMERICAN EXPRESS TRUST COMPANY
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 MINNEAPOLIS
015 C020001 MN
015 C030001 55402
015 C040001 2307
<PAGE> PAGE 2
015 E010001 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 9
019 C000000 IDSLIFESEP
020 A000001 CAPITAL INSTITUTIONAL SERVICE INC.
020 B000001 75-1565705
020 C000001 141
020 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
020 B000002 13-5674085
020 C000002 40
020 A000003 LYNCH, JONES & RYAN, INC.
020 B000003 13-3356934
020 C000003 13
020 A000004 NATWEST SECURITIES CORP.
020 B000004 13-3312778
020 C000004 11
020 A000005 DONALDSON, LUFKIN JENRETTE SEC. CORP.
020 B000005 13-2741729
020 C000005 7
020 A000006 SMITH BARNEY INC.
020 B000006 13-1912900
020 C000006 7
020 A000007 PAINEWEBBER INC.
020 B000007 13-2638166
020 C000007 6
020 A000008 WESTMINSTER RESEARCH ASSOCIATES
020 B000008 13-3088032
020 C000008 3
020 A000009 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN & CO.
020 B000009 13-4973745
020 C000009 2
020 A000010 LAZARD FRERES & CO.
020 B000010 13-5545100
020 C000010 2
021 000000 234
022 A000001 LEHMAN COMMERCIAL PAPER INC.
022 B000001 13-2501865
022 C000001 69878
022 D000001 12772
022 A000002 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
022 B000002 13-5108880
022 C000002 70994
022 D000002 5680
022 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
022 B000003 13-5674085
022 C000003 16128
022 D000003 18320
022 A000004 NATIONSBANK
022 B000004 75-0520130
022 C000004 19041
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000004 7488
022 A000005 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
022 B000005 13-2655998
022 C000005 21092
022 D000005 4290
022 A000006 CREDIT SUISSE FIRST BOSTON CORP.
022 B000006 13-5659485
022 C000006 12449
022 D000006 399
022 A000007 BANK OF AMERICA
022 B000007 94-1687655
022 C000007 4160
022 D000007 5087
022 A000008 J.P. MORGAN SECURITIES INC.
022 B000008 13-3224016
022 C000008 0
022 D000008 8886
022 A000009 CHASE INVESTMENT SERVICES CORP.
022 B000009 13-5225436
022 C000009 3488
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 CITICORP INVESTMENT BANK
022 B000010 13-5266470
022 C000010 2800
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 224370
023 D000000 63233
024 000000 Y
025 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH & CO., INC.
025 B000001 13-5674085
025 C000001 E
025 D000001 19080
025 A000002 TRAVELERS GROUP INC.
025 B000002 52-1568099
025 C000002 E
025 D000002 3299
025 A000003 DELETE
025 D000003 0
025 D000004 0
025 D000005 0
025 D000006 0
025 D000007 0
025 D000008 0
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 Y
026 D000000 Y
026 E000000 Y
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
026 H000000 N
028 A010000 268
028 A020000 0
028 A030000 0
028 A040000 5193
028 B010000 345
028 B020000 0
028 B030000 0
028 B040000 4486
028 C010000 425
028 C020000 0
028 C030000 0
028 C040000 5289
028 D010000 615
028 D020000 0
028 D030000 0
028 D040000 3245
028 E010000 365
028 E020000 0
028 E030000 0
028 E040000 4684
028 F010000 291
028 F020000 0
028 F030000 0
028 F040000 5548
028 G010000 2309
028 G020000 0
028 G030000 0
028 G040000 28445
028 H000000 0
034 000000 N
035 000000 0
036 B000000 0
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.400
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
<PAGE> PAGE 5
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
048 K020000 0.000
055 A000000 N
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
066 A000000 Y
066 B000000 N
066 C000000 Y
066 D000000 N
066 E000000 N
066 F000000 N
066 G000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 Y
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 Y
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 N
070 E020000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 F010000 Y
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 N
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 Y
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 Y
070 L010000 Y
070 L020000 Y
070 M010000 Y
070 M020000 Y
070 N010000 Y
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 117987
071 B000000 159383
071 C000000 664442
071 D000000 18
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 783
072 C000000 1849
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 1373
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 0
072 J000000 0
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 0
072 M000000 0
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 0
072 S000000 0
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 3431
072 X000000 4804
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 -2172
072AA000000 22633
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 89474
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 0
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.0000
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 104
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 33483
074 D000000 0
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 724464
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 0
074 K000000 87
074 L000000 323
074 M000000 0
074 N000000 758461
074 O000000 0
074 P000000 88
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 574
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 757799
074 U010000 31443
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 23.65
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 15116
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 692363
076 000000 0.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 8
077 C000000 N
077 D000000 N
077 E000000 N
077 F000000 N
077 G000000 N
077 H000000 N
077 I000000 N
077 J000000 N
077 K000000 N
077 L000000 N
077 M000000 N
077 N000000 N
077 O000000 N
077 P000000 N
SIGNATURE MARY ELLEN MINENKO
TITLE COUNSEL
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<SERIES>
<NUMBER> 1
<NAME> VARIABLE ANNUITY FUND B
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> JUNE-30-1997
<PERIOD-END> DEC-31-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 368102586
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 757947146
<RECEIVABLES> 0
<ASSETS-OTHER> 410310
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 103415
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 758460871
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 661531
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 661531
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 0
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 0
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 0
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 0
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 0
<NET-ASSETS> 757799340
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1848474
<INTEREST-INCOME> 783322
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> 4804192
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (2,172,396)
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 22632680
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 89474055
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 112106735
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 83892362
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 3431512
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 4804192
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 698963907
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 20.26
<PER-SHARE-NII> -0.06
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 3.45
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 23.65
<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.40
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
